Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has been off to a really great start, garnering universal acclaim and positioning itself to be a Game of the Year front-runner for 2025. In just about every way, the sequel is a massive refinement of its predecessor, taking the formula that worked before and polishing its rough edges, along with giving it plenty of increased accessibility to boot. However, just as it is with any game, Death Stranding 2 hasn’t been able to avoid criticism across the board, with one of its biggest points of contention revolving around an unspoken penalty that occurs when players attempt to make bulk deliveries.
Death Stranding 2 continues the unconventional gameplay loop of its predecessor, which sees players loading up cargo on Sam’s backpack and carrying it across treacherous terrain between NPCs called “preppers.” Upon making a delivery, players can earn a number of likes for their performance, but they also increase their rating with that prepper. Unfortunately, Death Stranding 2 has made it so that players earn less reputation with a prepper when making bulk deliveries, as opposed to delivering items one-by-one. Naturally, this has frustrated parts of the community, but it might still serve a hidden purpose that actually makes sense.
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Death Stranding 2’s Bulk Delivery Penalty Isn’t a Mistake But the Point
Bulk Deliveries Speed Things Up, But That’s Exactly the Problem
If there’s one thing that’s true about Death Stranding 2, it’s that it’s arguably easier than the first game was, offering players plenty of ways to not only speed up their deliveries by transporting multiple items at once, but also execute those deliveries more safely. Whether they use one of its vehicles, the monorail, or the more accessible fast-travel system, players can make bulk deliveries with relative ease. With those options in place, then, Death Stranding 2‘s bulk delivery penalty hasn’t really been sitting well with many players as it feels like a soft form of gated progression.
The bulk delivery penalty works by ensuring that players can never earn more than one star per run, no matter how much cargo they deliver at one time.
However, it could be argued that, although bulk deliveries help speed things up, that’s actually part of the problem, and perhaps even the reason for the existence of the penalty in the first place. Death Stranding‘s gameplay has always thrived on slower, more intentional pacing, and bulk deliveries (especially with the new traversal systems in place) can undercut that pacing. Of course, that might lead to some questioning why those systems were even implemented if they’re not meant to be used that way, but it’s more about bringing balance than it is about gating progression.
Death Stranding 2 Uses This System to Preserve Its Core Identity
More than likely, Death Stranding 2‘s bulk delivery penalty exists in order to preserve the core identity of the franchise’s gameplay. While many players have been actively working around this penalty by delivering items individually rather than all together, that’s likely what Hideo Kojima wanted them to do. If players understood that attempting to deliver all of their cargo at once actually isn’t as efficient as they thought it would be, surely they would change their approach to better align with the clear design philosophy of Death Stranding 2‘s gameplay.
It could be argued that, although bulk deliveries help speed things up, that’s actually part of the problem, and perhaps even the reason for the existence of the penalty in the first place.
This would not only potentially change the way they view its gameplay but also the themes of connection that are interwoven into it. If players are able to make bulk deliveries without being penalized for it, they’re less likely to understand the purpose of the deliveries in the first place, which is to establish connections in Death Stranding 2, not simply gain a five-star rating. Sure, its gameplay is addictive for that reason, but players might miss out on the heart and soul of it all if they’re just focused on getting more accurately rewarded for their hard work. With the penalty in place, players are thus encouraged to return to a prepper multiple times before they consider their work complete.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Released
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June 26, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
- Publisher(s)
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Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Engine
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Decima
- Franchise
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Death Stranding
- Number of Players
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Single-player
